Rail-joint.



J. W. STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION I'ILIBD AUG. 27, 1912.

Patented Apr. 14, 19m

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RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION IILED'AUG. 27, 1912.

Patented Apr 14, 1914.

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wi/imeooao JOHN 1V. STEPHENSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE GASTINGS COMPANY.

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RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. STEPHEN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved device as applied to the rails; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on lines TIL-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on lines IVIV of Fig. 1, and Figs. 5 and 6 are details of my device.

My invention has reference to rail joints, and is designed to provide a joint which has the merits of simplicity and great strength, and which wholly obviates the necessity of using bolts either through the webs of the rails or through the fastening means for securing the rails.

My device also provides an efficient support for the rail heads, and prevents any lateral movement of the rails relative to each other.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates portions of the adjacent rails, 3 the usual cross-ties and 4 the base or joint plate, preferably located between two of the ties, The base plate 4 has at one side an upwardly extending rail engaging portion 5, which engages the upper side of the base flange 6 and the underside of the rail heads 7, and is adapted to engage and support the adjacent ends of the rails. On the opposite side of the base plate 4 are upwardly extending projections 8 8 Which extend longitudinally of the rail, and which are inclined inwardly from the ends of the base plate toward its center.

9 is a rail engaging member which is adapted to bridge the gap between the rails and to engage both the base flanges 6 and the heads 7 and which has a rearwardly extending portion 10 seating between the projections 8 8 and a downwardly extending portion 11, having curved surfaces thereon, which is adapted to seat in the aperture 12 of the base plate 4. The inclined inner faces of the projections 8 8 and the rear faces 13 13 of the rail engaging member 9 form guide-ways for the brace members 14 14.

15, 15 are bendable key members by which Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 27, 1912.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914. Serial No. 717,233.

the rail bracing members 14 14 are secured and are adapted to be driven between the rail bracing members 14 14 and the base plate 4. When the noses of the bendable key members 15 15 strike the curved faces of the projection 10 they are deflected clownwardly between the curved faces of the projections 11 and the base plate 4 in its recess 12, and securely lock the rail brace members in their positions in the guide-ways.

When I install my device, I insert the base plate 4 underneath the ends of the two rails to be joined and bring the upward extending portion 5 into position between the heads 7 and the flanges 6 of the rails, and extending across the joint. On the opposite side of the rails I insert the rail engaging member 9 into its position between the opposite side of the heads 7 and the base flanges 6, and with its rearwardly extending portion 10 seated between the projections 8 8 and with its downwardly extending portion 11 in the recess 12 of the base plate 4. The rail bracing members 14 14 are then inserted into their respective guide-ways, and are driven home by tamping the bosses 16 16, thus securely fastening the rail ends together. The operation is finally completed by driving in the bendable key members 15 15 which looks the parts of the device together.

It will be seen that the rail engaging por tion 5 affords an adequate and efficient support for one side of the two rails, and that the rail engaging member 9 affords a like eflicient and adequate support for the opposite side of the rail, and that the binding action of the device will be equally distributed along the underside of the heads and the upper sides of the base flanges of both rails, and that the two rails will thus be firmly secured together, and will form practically a continuous rail so far as any mechanical shock or vibration is concerned. It is also to be noted that the wedging members are not affected by the movement of the rails due to expansion and contraction, since any such movement takes place relative to the rail engaging member 9 while the wedging member remains unaffected and in a neutral position.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in my device without departing from my invention,

hat I claim is:

1. In a rail joint, a base member having a rail seating surface, a projection at one side of said surface being adapted to engage the rails between their heads and base flanges, a rail engaging member adapted to co-act with the heads and base flanges of the other side of the rails, wedge members interposed between said rail engaging member and portions of the base plate, and bendable members adapted to lock the wedge members in wedging position.

2. A rail joint comprised of a base member, a projection on said base member forming a rail engaging portion for one side of the rails, a rail engaging member for the other side of the rails, the rear faces of the rail engaging member and abutments on the base member forming wedging seats, wedge members adapted to be driven into said wedging seats and bendable members adapted to lock said wedging members in said seats.

3. In a rail joint, a base member having at one side an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage one side of the rails, a rail engaging member adapted to engage the other side of the rails, projections on said base member inclined from the ends of said base member longitudinally of the 'rails, and inwardly toward the joint bet-ween parts, a part underlying the rail, wedges ope "ating between a rail-gripping part and a projection of that part which underlies the rail, and bendable locking means for securing the wedge members in wedging engagement against a rail gripping part, one of said rail-gripping parts having an engagement with the part underlying the rail to prevent relative longitudinal movement therebetween.

6. I11 a rail joint, rail engaging members on opposite sides of the rails, extending uninterruptedly across the joint and adapted to grip the rails bet-ween their heads and base flanges, wedge members engaging one of said rail engaging members and being operatively connected with the other of said rail engaging members for wedging the rail engaging members against the rail, and bendable locking keys taking against the first-mentioned rail engaging member and adapted to be automatically deflected thereagainst and to be locked whereby the wedge members are held in wedging engagement against the first-mentioned rail engaging member. I

'1'. In a rail joint, a base member having a portion extending beneath the end of adjacent rails said base member having upwardly extending sides, a rail engaging member extending continuously across the joint between the heads and base flanges thereof, the rear faces of the rail engaging member and the inner faces of one of the upwardly extending sides of the base member forming wedging seats, wedge members adapted to be driven into said wedging seats, and bendable members adapted to lock said wedging members in said seats.

JOHN W. STEPHENSON.

Witnesses ALAN N. MANN, G. S. HANsEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

